Flagstaff First Friday ArtWalk

49 galleries and other venues participated in the June First Friday ArtWalk, all within walking distance of one another in downtown Flagstaff. Many of these venues serve free hors d'oeuvres during the event.

On this past First Friday in Flagstaff, Steve and I parked on the outskirts of downtown and headed for Heritage Square, which is usually where we begin our art walks (though we enjoyed the nice walk from our car to the square, too).

At this time of year (October), the free Friday Movies on the Square, preceded by a concert, are over for the season, but there was still something to do there: Lowell Observatory had a telescope set up for viewing the night sky and a staff member there to explain what we were seeing.

As we continued our wanderings, we could hear live music coming from all directions.

Flagstaff's ArtWalk features all types of mediums -- from paintings and sculpture to ceramics and textiles, photography, jewelry, stained glass and metalwork -- by artists from here and beyond.

The Artists Gallery cooperative on San Francisco Street features works by more than 40 local artists and is always packed on ArtWalk night. On these First Fridays, the gallery hosts a reception for the Artists of the Month.

West of the Moon Gallery on Aspen Street may be small, but they feature more than 50 talented artists.

Other Flagstaff galleries you won't want to miss are:

• Beaver Street Gallery on the south side of the railroad tracks on--you guessed it!--Beaver Street, featuring contemporary exhibitions by artists from the U.S. and abroad


• Arizona Handmade Gallery on N. San Francisco Street, featuring a variety of media, including numerous pieces from the Fire on the Mountain Hand Blown Glass Studio


• The Shane Knight Gallery on E. Route 66, featuring traditional darkroom photography of western horses and landscapes

Steve really liked the encaustic paintings (or hot wax paintings) at the Showspace Gallery, like the one pictured here. And meeting the artists who display their work there made the experience even better.

In fact, you'll often find artists hanging out near their works on First Fridays, more than happy to answer questions and explain their techniques, philosophies and inspirations.

To see a directory of participating galleries and businesses for the next Flagstaff First Friday ArtWalk, visit:

FlagstaffArtWalk.com

There's a link for venues to sign up to be included on the map.

Read an article about Flagstaff's ArtWalk:

Art and the Masses: The Growth, Evolution, and Future of ArtWalk

from the Arizona Daily Sun

One thing I love about Flagstaff is that there's always something going on. I never quite understand when I hear someone around here say they're bored. Flagstaff is surrounded by millions of acres of National Forest, where recreational opportunities abound. We have a revitalized downtown, often the scene of arts and crafts shows, free festivals and concerts. And there are shows at the Orpheum, Theatrikos, Northern Arizona University and other live performance venues, not to mention museums and Lowell Observatory, lots of volunteer opportunities, city and private athletic and exercise facilities, and more.

Can you tell I like living in Flagstaff? That's why I've written other articles about this small city at 7,000 feet, including.....


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